1 Factsheet (ABS)

Following selective items of information were extracted from ABS Census 2016 to overview demographics of 301 Brisbane North.

The dark blue marker represents the value in 301 Brisbane North. The red marker represents nation-wide average. The vertical lines are the summary statistics at SA3 level - minimum (0% percentile), 1st quartile (25%), median (50%), 3rd quartile (75%), and maximum (100%). The grean text markers represent mean by remoteness category according to ASGS-RA - MC for Major cities, IR for Inner regional, OR for Outer regional, and RM for Remote/Very remote.

SEIFA is Socio-Economic Indexes for four Areas. Out of them, only two which often found useful in health context are included in this factsheet, each meaning:

  • The Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD)
  • The Index of Education and Occupation (IEO).

For more details, visit this page.

1.1 Summary at PHN level

1.2 Summary at SA3 level

2 Health service usage (AIHW)

2.1 MyHealthyCommunity reports

The AIHW has publishes indicators at the PHN and SA3 levels for a wide range of measures. These include utilisation of GP services based on claims - including after hours items - use of specialist services under MBS, attendances at aged care facilities, and people for whome no GP based MBS claim has been made in the year. The following are some plots of trends based on these data for GP after hours items - at the PHN and in the following plot by SA3. In each instance, data for 301 Brisbane North is highlighted.

2.1.1 GP attendances (PHN level, grouped by state)

2.1.2 GP attendances (SA3 level, grouped by remoteness)

2.1.3 GP attendances (SA3 level)

2.1.4 GP & AH relationship (PHN level)

One issue these data allows us to explore is the relationship between overall use of GPs and the the use of after hours items.

2.2 Non urgent ED presentations

The AIHW has published data on non-urgent ED presentations (triage categories 4 and 5), for three years - 2015-16 to 2017-18. (AIHW 2020) These data are presented at the PHN and the SA3 level. The technical note for this publication, highlights that there is missing data, as not all “emergency services”" report patient level data. The most significant gaps are in smaller rural hospitals. Estimated capture of emergency department activity at the patient level is 100% for major cities, 85% for inner regional, 65% for outer regional, 62% for remote and 18% for very remote. Capture of data is 100% in the ACT and NT, 98% in NSW, 92% in Victoria, 91% in Tasmania, 84% in South Australia, 81% in Western Australia and 73% in Queensland. The consequence is that ED attendance for PHN involving significant regional and remote populations is under-estimated. These PHNs and associated SA3 generally have higher attendance rates, and consequence the effect of the missing data is to underestimate already high attendance rates.

Another consideration is that in many small regional and remote towns, the hospital emergency department is staffed by local GPs (as visiting general practitioners).The GP is often the only medical practitioner in attendance at these hospitals. In many of these towns, the general practitioners close their office afterhours and then see patients at the Emergency Department in this period, on an on-call basis. The emergency departments are staffed by nurses.

Many of these hospitals have converted to a “multi-purpose service”, under which they also provide residential aged care.

Strictly speaking, these emergency care services are classified as “Emergency Services” not “Emergency Departments” according to the role definitions developed by the Australian College of Emergency Medicine.

The following charts, based on the AIHW data, illustrate some of the characteristics of patients attending emergency departments.

2.2.1 AH and non urgent ED

Data table as of 2016-17 is presented below.

Services/Attendances (000)
Crude rate per 1,000
PHN GP Afterhours ED low urgency GP Afterhours ED low urgency
001 Australia 11,854 1,382 490 57
101 Central & Eastern Syd 753 76 480 49
102 Northern Sydney 401 43 440 48
103 Western Sydney 816 44 860 46
104 Nepean Blue Mts 203 24 550 65
105 SW Sydney 704 53 730 55
106 SE NSW 183 50 300 82
107 Western NSW 55 48 180 157
108 Hunter NE & Cen Cst 399 118 320 95
109 North Coast 103 54 200 105
110 Murrumbidgee 48 28 200 116
201 NW Melbourne 1,412 91 830 53
202 Eastern Melbourne 962 61 640 41
203 SE Melbourne 1,012 61 670 41
204 Gippsland 50 24 180 88
205 Murray 175 49 290 80
206 Western Vic 227 32 360 51
301 Brisbane North 451 40 460 41
302 Brisbane South 595 43 530 38
303 Gold Coast 389 18 660 30
304 Darling Dns & W. Mor 246 16 440 28
305 Western Qld 17 6 270 92
306 C Qld, W Bay, Sun Cst 227 46 270 54
307 Northern Qld 297 23 430 33
401 Adelaide 802 52 660 43
402 Country SA 109 27 220 55
501 Perth North 411 51 390 48
502 Perth South 428 56 440 57
503 Country WA 96 48 180 90
601 Tasmania 98 26 190 51
701 NT 96 24 390 99
801 ACT 133 26 330 66

From the table above, crude rate per 1,000 was visualised with quadrant analysis below.

2.2.2 Non urgent ED attendances by hour

08:00-12:00 13:00-17:00 18:00-22:00 23:00-07:00
2016 MET001 99,696
(35.5%)
82,681
(29.5%)
60,499
(21.6%)
37,617
(13.4%)
REG001 117,603
(38%)
97,084
(31.4%)
61,850
(20%)
33,111
(10.7%)
PHN301 5,909
(37.1%)
4,872
(30.6%)
3,189
(20%)
1,938
(12.2%)
2017 MET001 102,970
(35.7%)
85,568
(29.6%)
61,703
(21.4%)
38,511
(13.3%)
REG001 125,711
(38.2%)
104,077
(31.6%)
64,393
(19.5%)
35,272
(10.7%)
PHN301 5,851
(36.7%)
4,705
(29.5%)
3,286
(20.6%)
2,116
(13.3%)
2018 MET001 101,208
(36.1%)
82,806
(29.6%)
59,498
(21.2%)
36,705
(13.1%)
REG001 124,182
(38.4%)
102,362
(31.6%)
62,201
(19.2%)
34,713
(10.7%)
PHN301 5,758
(35%)
4,986
(30.3%)
3,555
(21.6%)
2,141
(13%)

2.2.3 Non urgent after hours ED attendances (PHN level)

2.2.4 Non urgent after hours ED attendances (SA3 level, grouped by PHN)

2.2.5 Non urgent after hours ED attendances distribution (SA3 level, grouped by remoteness)

3 Geographical view

The interactive map below shows the area of PHN301 Brisbane North. The check boxes on the top right corner allows toggling choropleths with selected values (at SA2 level). The markers indicate major towns (derived from ABS Urban Centre and Locality) with population more than or equal to 10k and less than 100k, the main objective being to identify towns in relatively regional/remote area. In PHN301 Brisbane North, major towns are: Bongaree - Woorim